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Town Government & |
Committees: Central Fire Station Building Committee
As the operational center of the Hingham Fire Department, the Central Fire Station is severely limited in its ability to support modern public safety operations and equipment. The Central Fire Station Building Committee was established in FY 2003 to review the limitations of the building as it relates to supporting the fire department's program requirements. Areas of concern that were reviewed include: adequate bay sizes and heights to store the apparatus and equipment that will be housed in the station; public use requirements; support for emergency medical service delivery including proper decontamination and medical clean-up areas; administrative space; training space; emergency operations center facilities; and suitable living facilities for the firefighters. Trends in fire stations were weighed against specific needs of the Central Fire Station and the Committee fully vetted three possible building options: a new building; renovation of the existing building with an addition to rear; and renovation of the existing building with an addition to south side. Answer: As the operational center of the Hingham Fire Department, the Central Fire Station is severely limited in its ability to support modern public safety operations and equipment. The Central Fire Station Building Committee was established in accordance with Article 14 of the Annual Town Meeting of FY2003 to determine whether it is appropriate to renovate and expand the existing central fire station or to replace it at its current location, to prepare architectural and engineering design documents, and to oversee the resulting project. 2. Question: What needs to be addressed at the Central Fire Station? Answer: The existing Central Fire Station is approximately 4,200 square feet per level on two floors plus a basement. Originally completed in 1942, it has had some minor renovation and restoration work done over the years. However, due to changes in the complexity, size and number of both equipment and staffing, the Town needs to make changes to or replace the current facility. When the Central Fire Station was built, it was sized to accommodate fire apparatus that typically were about 20' long and 7-1/2' tall. Tools and equipment were mounted in the open on the side of the narrow apparatus. Modern apparatus is typically about 30' long and 12' tall. Compartments are now provided for storing tools and equipment. The actual sizes of the main apparatus bays are not large enough to store modern equipment. The aerial ladder truck, also known as the Quint, had to be specifically designed to be not over 10 feet high therefore allowing it to fit into the existing bay. Ambulances are also being specifically designed with lower ceiling height in the patient compartment forcing the EMT's to work bent over in a 5'8" compartment versus a 6' patient compartment. Some of the doors on tool compartments on the apparatus cannot be fully opened when the apparatus is inside, due to insufficient space between apparatus. The Central Fire Station was built before the fire department was providing emergency medical services. Today approximately 60% of responses are emergency medical or vehicle accident related. The fire department needs facilities for cleaning up and decontaminating the ambulance, storage of medical supplies and equipment, and facilities for conducting training. Administrative space is not in a consolidated area but in rooms located throughout the current building, much of which is undersized for the need. 3. Question: Is it possible to raise the ceiling in the apparatus bays? Answer: No. Both the floor of the apparatus bays and the ceiling are poured in place concrete. Removing the first story ceiling would eliminate the second story of the building leaving no quarters for the firefighters and, quite possibly, a structurally unsound building. The esthetics of the station would be lost, as the three apparatus bay doors would be replaced by two that are about 4 feet higher than the existing doors and windows on what is now the second floor would disappear. 4. Question: Should we invest in this location? Answer: Yes. The Town already owns land and an existing fire station at this location. The fire department needs a facility near the center of town to provide adequate response times to the emergency incidents in that part of the town. The Central Fire Station Building Committee is developing a plan to renovate the existing station and add an addition for much needed apparatus space. The Central Fire Station is where a fire department in a community the size of Hingham locates its administrative offices. Hingham Fire Department operates out of a central fire station and two substations. Each substation operates a pumper and will soon operate an ambulance as well, disbursing both fire fighting and emergency medical service delivery into the community. "One of a kind" apparatus such as the Quint, rescue boat, and special operations trailer are located at the central location. In addition, a pumper and a utility vehicle are located at central fire station to handle emergency calls in the center of town when the Quint is not the appropriate apparatus for response. The shift commander is located at the central fire station. This central location allows training sessions to be held for the firefighters on duty without having them too remote from their normally assigned location. The fire department plans to have 32 paramedics and they require continuing education two times per month. During staff meetings, there are 25 officers present including those who are on-duty at the substations. In order to keep crews intact, the personnel and apparatus from the substations respond from the central station during those meetings. 5. Question: What updates have been done to this station? Answer: Twenty years ago, a small addition to the right side of the building created space for an office for the fire chief and an administrative assistant. The building was originally constructed for this addition. More recently, the bay floors were re-enforced with steel and repaired in order to hold the Quint. The floor was leaking and structurally unsound. (An aside- during WWII there was a shortage of steel hence the floors were not supported as they would be today.) Other than that, there have only been minor repairs and maintenance. 6. Question: What Apparatus is to be housed in the Central Fire Station? Answer: The plan is to move the ambulance to a substation and add a second ambulance at the other substation when the next ambulance comes on line. The Central Fire Station will then house seven pieces of apparatus: the Quint, a command vehicle, a pumper, a utility/grass fire truck, the special operations trailer, the rescue boat and a reserve ambulance. 7. Question: When will the Quint be replaced? Answer: The Quint is a 25 year vehicle and was purchased in 1999. The Quint was of a special design to fit within the height of the existing bays. This resulted in decreased ground clearance and length. There are some hills and streets in Hingham where the Quint's ground clearance is too low to clear the approach or crown, forcing less optimal routing. Once there is appropriate bay height, there are alterations that can be made to improve this apparatus' ground clearance. 8. Question: How many firefighters will be on duty at the Central Fire Station? Answer: The program calls for a maximum of 5 on duty in the near future; the shift commander and up to 4 fire fighters. The plan is for 5 individual bunk rooms that will be designed to take a second bunk in each room if the need arises for additional staffing at this location. 9. Question: Is this project going to increase my taxes? Answer: There are no plans to finance this project with a Proposition 2 1/2 override vote. Initially the town will be asked to continue to contribute funds as part of the Capital Outlay budget and some short term bonding. When the project is completed, the town will bond the remaining costs with long term bonds which will be repaid through the annual budget process.
2007 Report Established at the Annual Town Meeting in FY 2003, the Central Fire Station Building Committee was charged with evaluating the adequacy of the Central Fire Station in the context of the growing public safety needs of our community. After two years of consideration, the Committee voted unanimously to recommend a side bay addition to the Central Fire Station. The 2005 Annual Town Meeting approved $3,934,750 in construction funding bringing total funds allocated for the project to just under $5 million. Throughout 2005 and 2006, the Committee refined the plans for the Fire Station and obtained the necessary approvals to proceed with the project. In August 2006, the Committee put the Fire Station project out to bid. Although the scope of the project was unchanged, the low bid resulted in overall project costs of $6,464,750. On December 11, 2006, a Special Town Meeting was held which approved the additional $1,539,000 necessary to move forward with the Fire Station. G & R Construction began work on the project in January 2007. Actual construction of the project has proceeded relatively smoothly throughout 2007. The pace of the construction has exceeded our expectations and will allow us to complete the work ahead of the 14 month contractual deadline. In addition, while there were some unforeseen construction issues, we have been able to complete the project within our budget. In fact, we anticipate returning funds to the town for the coming fiscal year. Special thanks should be extended to Paul J. Murphy, III whose extensive construction management experience is largely responsible for our success during the construction phase of the project.
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